The ability to cast the nanopaper into 3D forms will allow the nanomaterial to be used in protective masks and armor, flame-retardant fabric, drug release capsules and regenerating tissue, the researchers said. The nanopaper could eventually be used to filter bacteria and prevent the spread of pathogens. The application would be similar to the nanowire bar code system for detecting anthrax.

The researchers also proved the material's use as a low-cost nontoxic photocatalyst--a substance that can regenerate its chemical composition after exposure to light. They did this by comparing the paper's write-erase capability against regular printing paper. A 15-minute exposure to UV irradiation made the water-based ink "disappear."

The nanopaper, while obviously more sophisticated in chemical nature, is actually made from pulp, as is wood-based paper. The scientists figured out a way to make the nanomaterial less brittle and more pliable by playing with "the ratio of water to nanowires in the pulp and the time for drying the nanowire pulp," according to their research paper. The pulp they refer to is made of long nanowires created out of titanium oxide using a hydrothermal heating process.